1 Corinthians 15:24-28
Christ reigns until every enemy, including death, is defeated.
24 Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
27 For, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.
28 When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
Christ reigns until every enemy, including death, is defeated.
Paul explains the future sequence of Christ’s reign in which He subdues every enemy, abolishes death, and ultimately hands the kingdom to the Father.
These verses continue Paul's explanation of the order of resurrection introduced in 15:20–23. Having shown that Christ's resurrection guarantees the resurrection of believers, Paul now describes the ultimate goal of redemptive history. The resurrection leads to the final defeat of every enemy and the full establishment of God's kingdom. This section connects the resurrection not only to personal salvation but to the cosmic restoration of creation under God's reign.
Paul's explanation of Christ's reign addresses both Jewish expectations of the Messiah's kingdom and Greco-Roman misunderstandings about power and authority. By presenting the defeat of death and hostile powers, Paul emphasizes the comprehensive scope of Christ's victory.
Christ Is Risen, the Dead Will Be Raised, and Death Will Be Destroyed
Because Christ has been bodily raised from the dead as the firstfruits of his people, believers will also be raised, death itself will be defeated, and therefore Christian faith, holiness, suffering, and labor are meaningful and steadfast in the Lord.